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December 7, 2013 13-14 Offseason Joe Janish

Yankees Sign Carlos Beltran

No use crying over spilled milk, or canoes that float away — the Yankees responded to Robinson Cano‘s flight to Seattle by shrugging and then signing Carlos Beltran to a 3-year, $45M contract.

Finally, the Yankees get Beltran. And finally, Beltran fits himself into pinstripes. In a union that nearly consummated almost exactly ten years ago, Beltran agrees to — wait for it — LESS money than he was offered elsewhere to become a Bronx Bomber.

According to various reports, Beltran had been offered 3-year deals for more than $45M from other teams, including the Diamondbacks. This time around, though, Beltran eschewed the dollars and went with his heart — leaving possibly $3M on table to make memories as a Yankee.

It’s a good signing by the Yanks, who desperately needed to add to their collection of aging position-player/DH types. Somehow, Joe Girardi finds a way to mix and match all of his DHs to keep his team competitive, so I can’t be too critical. If he’s limited to 125-130 games, including a few dozen DH appearances, Beltran likely will continue to be a .800+ OPS hitter, and that’s not too shabby.

Surely there are Mets fans who would have liked to see Beltran back in Flushing, but at this point in his career, with his battered legs, Beltran needs that DH spot as well as supporting characters to perform at his best. I don’t believe he could be the 150-game starting rightfielder the Mets need Curtis Granderson to be.

Which brings up an interesting point: why did the Yankees completely ignore Granderson (other than extending a qualifying offer) — who has proven to be an extremely capable offensive force in Yankee Stadium — and court a broken-down Beltran for a similar cost? Was it really all about Grandy’s demand for a fourth year, or do the Yankees know something we don’t?

What’s your thought on the Beltran signing? Why do you think the Yankees preferred Beltran over Granderson? Answer in the comments.

Joe Janish began MetsToday in 2005 to provide the unique perspective of a high-level player and coach -- he earned NCAA D-1 All-American honors as a catcher and coached several players who went on to play pro ball. As a result his posts often include mechanical evaluations, scout-like analysis, and opinions that go beyond the numbers. Follow Joe's baseball tips on Twitter at @onbaseball and at the On Baseball Google Plus page.
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  1. izzy December 7, 2013 at 5:03 pm
    How many ways can Girardi split up the DH role? Soriano, Jeter, Wells, Beltran, McCann, maybe AROD. Really wonder why why the Yanks wanted Beltran so badly and showed absolutely no interest in retaining Granderson? Beltran was a better player but at his age with that bum knee, is he today?
  2. NormE December 7, 2013 at 5:14 pm
    I believe that the Yankees never believed that any team would give Cano the kind of money he got from Seattle.
    They never really focused on Granderson, and with the signing of Ellsbury thought that they had enough OFs. The
    signing of Beltran was a knee jerk reaction. Giirardi is going to have to juggle his line-up to fit in all his DH personnel.
    He’s got Soriano, Jeter, Beltran, Ichiro, Wells. They all need pampering to extract the most of their diminishing talents. They could score a lot of runs, but defense is a big question mark, and pitching even more so.
  3. hiro December 7, 2013 at 5:14 pm
    I like Beltran so much I even wish the best for him in a Yankee jersey.

    Intersting point about Granderson though. Is he damaged goods? This would be so Mets…

  4. argonbunnies December 8, 2013 at 3:22 am
    The Yankees preferred Beltran over Granderson because Beltran is a much better hitter. I’d expect that anyone who’s watched both guys’ swings can tell you it’s not even close.

    Carlos isn’t far from turning into a minor liability in the OF, but he is going to put up monster numbers in that park and lineup. If the Yanks do use the DH spot to keep him fresh, I’d expect a 100-30-100 season.

    I hate this move. It was reported that the Royals offered $48 mil a week ago. But rather than help the likable little guy over the hump, Beltran signed with the soulless front-runner. I’ll be rooting against the Yanks as hard as ever.